COIMBATORE: In the wake of the ongoing conflict at Megamalai Tiger Reserve regarding the eviction of residents and farmers from forest lands, the residents of Valparai in Coimbatore district have also launched a widespread public campaign against the centre's move to declare areas around the Anamalai Tiger Reserve as an Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ).
The opposition, which has been ongoing for the past two years, has now turned into a people's movement, after they said that the government authorities started to impose restrictions slowly.
So, the residents are individually preparing to submit representations to the government, citing ground realities and administrative facts that opposes to declare the hilly region as an ESZ.
The people residing in each area in Valparai separately started movements demanding the exclusion of the areas where they reside from the ESZ restrictions.
A Arnold Regee, a coordinator for Rottikadai, Sholayar Dam and its city areas, said that they distributed a representation/objection letter explaining the disadvantages to their inhabitants if it comes under the ESZ.
"In our representation, we have requested that these inhabited areas be separately identified in the final spatial framework and removed from blanket restrictions applicable to surrounding ecological land.
We have clarified that we are not seeking any reduction in protection for forests, wildlife habitats or water bodies, but want precise, GIS-verifiable settlement boundaries.
The draft notification itself mandates that the master plan be prepared in consultation with local people and demarcate existing villages and urban settlements while considering local needs and livelihood security. So, we have also sought correction of classification in the draft," he said.
P Paramasivam, CPM Taluk secretary from Valparai, said, "If the notification is implemented, strict regulations will be imposed. Permission to construct new buildings will be denied. Widening and strengthening of existing roads and the construction of new roads will be regulated.
"Valparai is officially a Selection Grade Municipality, and Rottikadai is a village that comes under Ward 3 and Sholayar at the Ward 16 of Valparai Municipality. However, the draft notification generically records these areas as 'estates'. Although it has not been announced officially, the authorities have started to implement the restriction slowly. We are working to prevent it before it is declared.
We planned to send our representations individually to the district collector and district forest officer and other authorities. Meanwhile, we have been sensitising it among the public to get support widely," Arnold Regee added.